


An Unsettling Temporal Paradox

by ImperialParagons



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Tumblr Challenge, Voss Mystics - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:55:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28365018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperialParagons/pseuds/ImperialParagons
Summary: Smuggler Kal'tyrel agrees to attempt the trial of the Mystics on Voss and makes the case that 'Visions' are more prevelent than the Voss had considered.From a prompt list on Tumblr using the word Fabrefaction: act of fashioning or making a work of art.Set during the base game.





	An Unsettling Temporal Paradox

**Voss || Dream-Space**

The world was awash in golden light, wisps of a silver umbilical cord trailing behind Kal'tyrel as she floated forward, not entirely sure that she was truely getting anywhere. The sensation felt familiar, comfortingly so, despite the fact that in the back of her mind was the omnipresent dull sense of euphoric terror she'd learned years ago to suppress.

Having spent most of her life working for the Hutts Kal had long ago learned how to shrug off the glimpses into the depth of human misery that empires of all stripes were built on. This dream state had the same feeling of emotional numbness.

As a panel of three Voss floating midair appeared in front of her, some hazy intermittent distance away, Kal simply kept walking until the distance shrunk all at once and she was barely eighteen inches away.

There was some sort of Voss greeting she was supposed to have learned from Akavvi that she hadn't bothered to, and instead of the proper formal gesture Kal stared at them, tucking her hands behind her back, drawing her shoulders back and up and straightening her posture.

She had been a lawyer for nearly twenty-five years, a real estate lawyer who rarely had to set foot in the courtroom, but the instinct was still there. At the start of any case there was always a moment of chicken between prosecutor and witness, a subtle clash of resolve on who would flinch first -- and there was almost nobody in the galaxy that she was still even remotely afraid of.

The Voss on the panel flinched first, "Supplicant," the Voss's distinct cultural mannerisms were somehow even stronger in the dream state, his low booming voice echoing into the light. "We have questions for you."

"Of course."

The one on the left spoke first, "A Mystic must understand that visions may come from many sources. Please, tell us of your last fabrefaction, and the vision it represented."

Kal blinked, once, twice, her expression unflinchingly stoic even though she was 100% at a loss as to what the question actually was. Which, while confusion was a normal state of affairs for dealing with the Voss, she had promised to take this trial seriously, and her lips pursed slightly in thought.

"If I may have a moment to consider your request?" That must have been the right thing to say because the leader in the center nodded and time seemed to suspend. Ambiently Kal wondered if time was still passing on the outside, or if trying to access the holonet would work, before settling on the strategy of trying to recall every archaic legal term she had ever had memorized in hopes of remembering a closely related word.

As soon as it clicked -- fabrication, of course they wanted her to talk about _art_ \-- Kal shook her head and laughed which unpaused the dream state as the panel looked at her expectantly. The problem was that she now had all of maybe thirty seconds to come up with an answer as to what exactly her last artist creation had been.

A sly smile turned into a satisfied grin as she tilted slightly back on her heels to look up at the center Voss. "My last fabrefaction was the most recent chapter of 'An Empire of Sins and Virtues' in which--"

The Voss on the right shook his head, "Such things are Not Visions."

"But aren't they?" She didn't wait for him to reply, honing her gaze on him and turning to stare him down as she continued. "The currents of destiny move in small ways to change the course of Empires; the choices made by individuals are what plot the fate of the universe by degrees. Visions of who may hold the pen of the future are perhaps the ones that may hold the keys to writing--"

She was mid-speech when the world went fuzzy around the edges. Kal stopped, looking around as the pixelated figures in front of her, unsure if she had broken something somehow or gone outside the parameters or--

**Makeb || Near Future**

"Her plan will work," she knew the name of the broad shouldered Sith speaking in the same instant she had never seen him before in her life; an unsettling temporal paradox. "We can still save Makeb, we just need more time!"

**Voss || Voss-ka**

"The Matron of the Temple brought you to us and said you'd passed their test, and would wake up soon--" Corso started but was immediately cut off by Akkavi

"That was three days ago. Whatever happened in there now everyone in the whole damn planet wants to buy your books--"

"It's great! You're back on the Republic's best seller list for three books, and royalty payments have been pouring in! Not to mention a dozen reviewers requesting interviews--"

"--I don't mean to interrupt but Grandmaster Satele Shan tried to--"

The crew was all talking over each other, but the image of the Sith lingered in her mind and she reached for her datapad, motioning for them to quiet down while she flipped through files until she found the most recent chapter draft.

"Chapter twenty-six: Wrath and Diligence."


End file.
